Seòmar agus comataidhean

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 289 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-10879

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many Safe to School initiatives have been established in the last year.

In the last year our active travel delivery partners have focussed on building on established projects within schools and early education settings, as part of the continued efforts to promote walking and cycling as modes of travel for getting to and from school.

Living Streets coordinates the "WOW" project which encourages school children to walk once a week to school and provides schools, with both online and physical resources to encourage more walking, through an inter school competition. Over 130 schools took part in the WOW event at the end of the 2021-22 academic year. For 2022-23, Living Streets have established Walk to School Week (May), which saw 70 schools take part in the inaugural event, and Walk to School month (October), which it is currently preparing for. Further activity is underway with 6 secondary schools to support school travel planning, and 15 nurseries to deliver the Little Feet walking initiative.

Cycling Scotland's Bikeability Scotland Cycling Training Scheme continues to be available to all schools in all 32 Scottish local authorities. This training provides lifelong learning skills from how to balance on a bike to tackling roundabouts and junctions, where awareness of other road users and road position is crucial.

We fund Sustrans to deliver behaviour change programmes, including £745K for the successful Ibike project in schools in 2022-23. This project empowers children, parents and teachers to walk and cycle together through activities such as cycle and scooter training, led rides, and road safety awareness sessions. In 2022-23 this programme will work with at least 10 LAs and target 16,000 pupils.

Question reference: S6W-10877

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with local authorities to roll out more Safe to School initiatives.

The Scottish Government is investing record levels of funding for active travel, in particular around schools and places of education. The £150m active travel budget for 2022-23 includes £12.3m of funding for behavioural change initiatives which local authorities can access through our active delivery partners dedicated programmes for schools and communities. The budget also includes a record £35m for the Cycling and Walking Safer Routes fund, which goes directly to local authorities on a pro-rata basis, enabling them to make the changes to the public realm that they see as having most impact for supporting safer daily journeys by walking and cycling.

Question reference: S6W-10880

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing financial support to businesses impacted by rising energy costs.

The Programme for Government sets out our response to the cost crisis, as well as our ambition to create a better future in the longer term. This includes working with the business community to identify further measures that can assist in addressing increased costs and economic disruption. The Government has committed to an emergency budget review to assess all opportunities to target additional resources.

Energy policy is reserved to the UK Government and we have been calling for it to introduce a business energy cap for some time. While the support announced today will be welcome relief for businesses, substantial reform to the energy market is still required or there is a real risk that this temporary measure will prove to be inadequate.

We will continue to do everything within our resources and powers to help those most affected.

Question reference: S6W-10829

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent a future shortfall of first-year student accommodation for those aged 17.

The Scottish Government has no direct role in the provision of student accommodation nor any capacity within the private rental market. However, we are aware of the ongoing difficulties faced by students in accessing accommodation this academic year.

We are currently undertaking a review of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) which will look at a number of issues, including affordability and supply and the findings from this report, along with findings from the New Deal for Tenants Report which considered similar issues in the private rented sector, will inform a student accommodation strategy for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-09627

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Environment Strategy for Scotland, which was published in 2020, and the UK Government’s targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of current wildlife tunnels and bridges in protecting Scotland's wildlife, and what steps it plans to take to increase the number and size of wildlife tunnels and bridges in order to reduce the reported high level of wildlife casualties on Scotland's roads.

Transport Scotland is responsible for the management and Maintenance of the trunk road network; all other roads are the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

The protection of biodiversity and support for native wildlife are major considerations in the agency's work, whether in the planning and development of new infrastructure or the management of the existing network. Transport Scotland actively engages with stakeholders, its supply chain, statutory bodies and other public sector organisations to seek opportunities to reduce wildlife casualties across Scotland's road network, whilst increasing biodiversity and habitat connectivity. This includes the provision of suitable crossing facilities, such as culverts and bridges, to reduce the barrier-effect of roads. The design of these structures follows best practice guidance and is overseen by professional ecologists to ensure they are appropriate for the local environments concerned and the ecosystems they support.

All trunk road schemes are regularly inspected and assessed to ensure they are fit for purpose. Assessments undertaken through the Scottish Trunk Road Infrastructure Projects Evaluation (STRIPE) provide an early indication of performance and, where appropriate, identify any potential issues, including any crossing points which may not be functioning as required.

Operating Companies, who manage and maintain the trunk road network on behalf of Transport Scotland, are also required to report through an annual Landscape Management Report. This report includes collation of wildlife casualty data which may identify locations requiring more detailed analysis and intervention.

Question reference: S6W-09137

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for inspections and check-ups on those children who have been registered for home schooling.

Question reference: S6W-09136

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 June 2022

Question reference: S6W-09135

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 June 2022

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of children and young people home educating.

The current home education guidance recommends that local authorities should ordinarily make contact on an annual basis with families known to be home educating in their area and the current Scottish Government consultation on this guidance seeks views on how a local authority may reasonably inform themselves in order to fulfil their responsibilities under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

Question reference: S6O-01182

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it plans to undertake into spoilt ballots at the 2022 local government elections.

Question reference: S6O-01164

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the finance secretary has made of any impact on Scotland’s financial outlook as a result of the reduction to ScotRail services.